Melissa,

I would suggest that you also consider a couple of other issues in
regards to this. If there is any risk or potential risk of flooding
then you should plan on elevating the paintings storage off the floor
and looking at ways of increasing air circulation around them to also
reduce the possiblity of mold and mildew from elevated relative
humidity.

You also need to ensure that there is fairly easy access to the
paintings - don't create a situation where they have to be moved in
some gymnastic way that only a contortionist from Cirque du Soeil
could accomplish. Making envelopes for the paintings out of soft tyvek
would also be a good idea to reduce dust and any potential surface
contact with the sides of the enclosure should you go ahead with the
slot system. Tyvek is prefered because it will not allow liquid water
in but it does allow water in vapor form to exhcange and thus you get
a stable relative humidity with the room and the inside of the
envelope.

By the way wet art and objects should never be stored in Tyvek. A
couple of years ago I examined a large collection of paintings and
prints from a flood that an insurance recovery group and packed in
tyvek, and ALL of the liquid water had been retained inside and
against the art, creating a massive and truly scary mold explosion
over the whole collection. In the worst cases thick mold films had
grown on both the surface of the paint and the tyvek too, and you had
to peel them apart with a teflon spatula.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California

On 7/26/07, Melissa Jolley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> We are looking for a permanent storage option for about 10 to 15 paintings.
> I have been researching a few different systems and wondered if anyone has
> had experience with the same debate of pros and cons as we are currently
> having.
>
> Our first thought for storage is a wooden box with slot spaces for each
> painting to be stored vertically. In order to prevent off gassing from the
> wood, I have seen suggestions to purchase a low or no formaldehyde MDF such
> as Medite II. If this is the wood used in construction, will it still need a
> barrier layer applied to the wood? Two of the most recommended options for
> the barrier are Marvelseal or Cagmer Polyglaze 146.
> I would appreciate anyone's opinion about which works best, is most cost
> effective and other suggestions of any similar products.
> Also, when using Marvelseal, does it need to be replaced every few years?
> Would the Polyglaze have to be recoated as the years go by?
>
> After researching I have also seen hanging storage is a popular way to house
> paintings. I realize that using metal would help with the off gassing issue.
> However, the space that we have to fit the storage into is fairly small, and
> the wall we have for the space cannot be used to mount a storage system.
> Because we are not able to mount the screen system, it is questionable if we
> could safely create a free standing hanging storage piece. Are there any
> ideas or solutions to address this problem?
>
> One other option we have come up with is to make a box similar to the wooden
> vertical slot box but instead of using wood use Lexan or plexiglass (to help
> with the off gassing issue). Has anyone had any experience with this?
>
> Sorry for such a long post. Thanks for any information you can provide!
>
> Melissa Jolley
> Curator, Redcliffe State Historic Site
> Beech Island, SC
>
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